The invention relates to supporting means for the tubes in a tube bundle or the like arranged in an array having a plurality of rows of parallel tubes extending between spaced apart support plates and having lanes between the rows of the tubes.
In the use of tube bundles of the type employed in surface condensers, heat exchangers and similar apparatus, the damage caused by vibration of the tubes can be a serious problem. A method called "staking" has been used to diminish the vibration in tube bundles of the indicated type, this method involving the pushing of flat bars between the tubes. However, this method of staking has not been entirely successful in reducing vibration since the flat bars are inserted in a random and uncontrolled pattern and often slip from their inserted position.
It is the general object of the invention to provide a supporting system of non-load carrying members which reduces the damage caused by vibration in tube bundles of the indicated type.
Briefly stated, the supporting means in accordance with the invention comprises a plurality of first and second strip members extending through lanes of the bundles to provide supporting contact for the tubes, the lanes through which the first strip members extend being transverse to the lanes through which the second strip members extend, and frame means extending around the periphery of the array of the tube bundle in engagement with the strip members for retaining the same in place.
The supporting means of the invention thus provides a specific, controlled pattern of strips for supporting the tube bundles as opposed to the random placement of the "staking" method. Moreover, the position of the strip members can be set and maintained at or near the mid-span of the tube bundle support plates where the vibration is the most serious.
There are provided several embodiments of the invention so that the supporting means can be applied at the time of retubing or retro-fitting of a tube bundle or while the tube bundles are intact. One embodiment of the invention comprises a strip member which can be applied to an in-place tube bundle whose size and tube pattern make it impractical to use the perimeter frame. In this case, a specially formed strip of high strength metal is designed so that it can slide between the tubes longitudinally but cannot rotate about its planer axis.
All of the embodiments of the invention are inexpensive, readily installed and involve no structural changes to the tube bundle or the containment therefor.